NETList: Seven Asian TV Series That Have Almost ‘Broken’ Nigerian Homes

Over the last decade, TV in Nigeria has experienced an influx of movies from the Asian continent. It has had both the most hilarious and disastrous effect on Nigerians who are known to be fun loving and serious lovers of entertainment, especially the women folk population of the nation.

It no surprise to see women and even men making a mad rush to their homes before dusk just because it is so important for them to be home in time to meet their favorite Asian series. Numerous times, spouses have gotten into fights and arguments because the women are as focused on her Asian series as the man is on his football. Meaning they do not want to be disturbed and it is most definitely not a time for a heartfelt conversation.

Perhaps the most hilarious of all the scenarios imaginable is the number of pots of soups that have been burn, the money wasted and invariably, the children ignored.

Here are 7 Asian series that has successfully put Nigerian homes in all or some of these scenarios:

Married Again: This Indian soap started to air on ZEE World, a cable TV station that specifically screens Indian TV content, in 2015. The series was about two people who had to remarry (a subject still touchy in India) because there was a belief that both their spouses were dead. The series showed the struggles of joining two completely separate families together and the gradual process of falling in love. It had drama, suspense, envy and all the other ingredients that can help make a TV series great.

On The Wings of Love: This ABS-CBN production is a Philippino romantic comedy that starre couple, Nadine Lustre and James Reid in their first prime Television series. It was shot across two countries – The Philippines and San Francisco, US and had dialogue in two languages – Tagalog and English. It showed the innocence of true love in the middle of real-life struggles. It also showed the stress that illegal immigrants have to go through because of their quest to live the American dream.

3. Boys Over Flowers: This is probably the biggest Korean movie ever to grace TV screens in Nigeria. It was one of the series that introduced Nigerians to the world of Korean series. It was created in 2009 based on a Japanese Manga story called Boys Over Flowers. It was basically high school drama with a little twist. A hardworking schoolgirl gets a scholarship to study in a rich people’s school. She initially finds them overbearing but after withstanding all the pranks by one of the richest senior boys in her school, she soon becomes the object of his affection but she had already fallen in love with one of his best friends. She eventually falls in love with her prankster but has to fight their kidnappers, their separation, and his betrothal to a rich heiress to eventually win the love of her life.

4. Lies of The Heart: This is currently still showing in Nigeria on Zee World but it is probably one of the most iconic series on Zee World and one of the few Indian series that fiercely promotes feminism. It is about a young woman who marries the ‘wrong’ person as she thinks he is a completely different person than the man she thought she had married. She has to endure physical abuse and verbal abuse while in the marriage plus every form of oppression imaginable from her husband. She finally gets the strength to fight when she catches her arrogant husband cheating on her and decides to strike out on her own. Because of the culture in India, she is eventually abandoned by her family but she is determined to make it on her own as an independent woman.

5. Mara Clara is a Philippino television drama which started to air from October 2010. It is a family drama and a remake of another 1992 Philippine series with the same title. It was a ‘switched from birth’ kind of story. Mara and Clara are switched at the hospital they are born but a hospital staff records it all. When they are older, Mara (who was switched to the poor parents) start to work as a servant in the house of her real parent unknowingly to all the parties involved. The rich people, however, decide to help Mara through her education while Clara makes her life difficult. Finally, the truth is revealed and roles are changed.

6. City Hunter: it started to air in South Korea in May 2011 and is a television drama based on the Japanese manga series of the same name. A young man taken from his parents as an infant is exposed to a revenge plan by his surrogate father when he is a teen. He does everything in his power when he becomes grown up to fulfill his surrogate father’s plan. They develop issues as they have different ideas on how to execute the revenge plan. The issues are only heightened when the ‘City Hunter’ who is the young man, falls in love after he had been warned by his surrogate father not to fall in love. His brand of revenge also brings justice to the people of South Korea and that is why he is dubbed as the ‘City Hunter’.

7. King of Hearts: This was a globally acclaimed Indian series but its major characters won the hearts of Nigerian audiences with their never-ending drama. Two star-crossed lovers do everything in their abilities to be together but keep getting obstacles thrown at them. They fight every obstacle thrown at them but every time they seem to have overcome their issues another one is thrown at them. The series did not finish airing in Nigeria and Nigerians are still waiting for its final season.

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